Mapping and modeling airborne urban phenanthrene distribution using vegetation biomonitoring.

ABSTRACT: To capture the spatial distribution of phenanthrene in an urban setting we used vegetation biomonitoring with Jeffrey pine trees (Pinus jeffreyi). The major challenge in characterizing spatial variation in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations within a metropolitan area has been sampling at a fine enough resolution to observe the underlying spatial pattern. However, field and chamber studies show that the primary pathway through which PAHs enter plants is from air into leaves, making vegetation biomonitoring a feasible way to examine the spatial distribution of these compounds. Previous research has shown that phenanthrene has adverse health effects and that it is one of the most abundant PAHs in urban air. We collected 99 pine needle samples from 91 locations in Fresno in t

SUBMITTER: Noth EM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6839706 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature